Comparative Study of the proximate composition and antioxidant capacity of processed Corchorus olitorius

Corchorus olitorius is globally used both as a vegetable and as herb for medical and therapeutic purposes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different processing techniques (air drying- AD, oven drying- OD and sun drying- SD) on the antioxidant activity and proximate composition of Corchorus olitorius.
The moisture content of C. olitorius was significantly higher in SD and OD drying methods and was also significantly lower in AD when compared to other drying method. There is a significant increase in the carbohydrate level and ash content in the air-dried processed C. olitorius. All the other nutrients including crude protein and fats show that temperature conditions in oven drying, sun drying and air drying had no substantial effect on its retention.
Highest 2, 2-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl free radical scavenging activity (DPPH %) and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) value retention were observed in air drying and lowest in oven drying.
The proximate composition and antioxidant activity of C. olitorius were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in AD compared to OD and SD. The study concluded that AD should be considered an appropriate drying procedure for retaining excellent nutritive qualities and antioxidant capacity of Corchorus olitorius.